RHINELANDER - Rhinelander's first-ever PotatoFest last year started as a charity fundraiser and a way to recognize the potato's importance in our area.

After last year's success, the event will expand even further this weekend.

PotatoFest features a parade, eating and cooking contests, live music all day, and the YMCA Couch Potato Race.

"We're hoping in the long run that PotatoFest is going to be the go-to event that you have to go to on Labor Day," said Downtown Rhinelander, Inc. Executive Director Maggie Steffen. "It's going to bring people from all over the state and hopefully the surrounding states, and this is where they come."

New events this year include a three-on-three basketball tournament, the second-ever appearance of the Spudmobile, and Alice in Dairyland.

We asked Steffen why she was wearing a duck hat for her interview.

"One of our new events is the Duck Regatta, which is, you buy your duck for five bucks," Steffen said. "Your duck has your ticket number on it. It gets floated down the river. Then it's captured, and we have prizes from first to twentieth. It ranges from $2,000, $1,000, $500, $250."

Trig's is the major sponsor of PotatoFest, and events will center around the greenspace near Trig's.

- It's a clash. More schools want to provide technology for students, like laptops. But some students can't use them at home for lack of internet access. Find out how one local school district handles this problem, tonight on Newswatch 12.

- Plus, the state championship for high school gymnastics takes place this weekend in Madison. One Rhinelander athlete had her best performance of her career in sectionals and will head to state.

We'll have the details on these stories and more tonight on Newswatch 12 - news from where you live.

CHESTER, IL - A former suburban Chicago police officer convicted of killing his third wife and suspected in his fourth wife's disappearance has pleaded not guilty to trying to hire someone to kill the prosecutor who helped put him in prison.

Drew Peterson entered the plea Tuesday in a southern Illinois courtroom with his feet shackled. He also waived a preliminary hearing.

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